Cigarette package



May 6, 1941. c. c. BALDWIN CIGARETTE PACKAGE Filed Dec. 14, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet-l May 6, 1941. c. c. BALDWIN CIGARETTE PACKAGE Filed De. v14, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented May 6, 1941 warren stares rarest Q'FFICE CEGARETTE PAGKAG-E Charles 0. Baldwin, St. Louis, Mo.

Application December 14, 1938, Serial No. 245,757

12 Claims.

This invention relates to article packages and more particularly to a wrapper especially designed for merchandising and dispensing cigarettes in package form.

The object of the invention is to provide a cigarette package or wrapper of simple and inexpensive construction which will hold intact a plurality of assembled cigarettes in compact package form for merchandising purposes, means being provided for quickly and conveniently opening the package to permit the easy selection and removal of the first cigarette from the pack and additional cigarettes thereafter as desired, while at the sametime protecting the ends of the re maining cigarettes in the package from contamination in the process of handling or while being carried in a pocket or purse of the user andalso preventing the accumulation of loosetobacco in the pocket due to disintegration of the tobacco at the ends of the cigarettes which usually occurs when said cigarette ends are exposed and rub against the walls of the pocket or other surface.

A further object of theinvention is to provide a cigarette package comprisingan inner wrapper or enveloping jacket formed from a single sheet or blank of paper provided with fold lines and a weakened portion or portions and an outer wrapper or cup having a weakened portion or portions adapted to register with the weakened portion or portions of the inner wrapper when said wrappers are nested so that by successively severin'gthe weakenedporti'ons oi-the outer and inner 'wrappersthe upperp'ortions of adjacent cigarettes within the package will be exposed without tearing or otherwise mutilating the top of the package, thereby permitting convenient and selective removal of the cigarettes from said package and atthe same time eifectually protecting thends of said cigarettes against frictional contact with foreign objects as long as any cigarettes remain in the package.-

A-iurther object is to provide acigarette package, the construction of which is such as toprevent accidental spilling of the cigarettes from the package after the package is opened and which is attractive in appearance and possesses manifold'advantageous sales possibilities.

A still further object of the invention is generally to improve this class of devicesso as to increase-theirutility, durability and efiiciency as well'asuto reduce the cost of manufacture.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this 's'pec'ificationand in which similar. numerals 'of reference indicate corresponding parts allthe fi gufes of "the drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a cigarette package constructed in accordance with the pres ent invention,

Figure 2 is a similar view of the upper portion of the package showing the weakened portion of the outer wrapper or cup removed to expose the inner wrapper,

Figure 3 is a similar view .showing the weakened portion of the inner wrapper removed so as to permit the removal of a cigarette from the package,

Figure 4 is a plan view of the blank from which the outer wrapper or cup is constructed,

Figure 5 is a similar view of theblank from which the inner wrapper or enveloping jacket is constructed,

Figure 6 is a perspective view of the upper portion of a package of cigarettes illustrating a modified form of the invention and showing the weakened portion of the outer jacket or cup disposed at the corner of the package,

Figure '7 is a plan view of the blank from which the outer wrapper or cup shown in Figure 6 is constructed,

Figure 8 is a perspective view illustrating another modification in which the. weakened portions of the wrappers are disposed on one side of the package, 7

Figure 9 is a perspective view illustrating a further modification,

Figure 10 is a similar view showing the weakened portion or tab illustrated in Figure 9 partially detached or severed,

Figurell is a perspective view showing the weakened portion entirely severed so as to expose the upper portions of the cigarettes.

Figure 12 is a plan view of the blank from which the inner wrapper shown in Figure 9 is constructed.

Figure 13 is a similar view of the blank forming the outer wrapper or cup of the package shown in Figure 9, and t Figure 14 is a plan view of an inner wrapper illustrating a further modification of the invention.

The improved cigarette package forming the subject-matter of the present invention comprises an outer wrapper or cup 5 and an inner wrapper or enveloping jacket 6 nested within the cup 5 and containing the usual number of cigarettes, indicated at I. The outer wrapper 5 is preferably stamped or otherwise formed from a single substantially rectangular paper blank of the construction shown in Figure 4 of the drawings, said blank being provided with spaced vertical fold lines 8 defining side walls 9 and I and end walls H and 12, the end wall i2 being preferably formed in two sections so that, when the blank is folded. into shape, said sections will overlap, as indicated in dotted lines in Figure 1 of the drawings. The blank is also provided near the lower end thereof with a longitudinal fold line 13 intersected by diagonal fold lines M so as to permit the blank to be folded inwardly on the diagonal fold lines Hi to form the bottom of the outer wrapper or cup.

The inner wrapper 5 is formed from a single blank of paper of the construction shown in Figure 5 of the drawings, said blank being provided with vertical fold lines l5 defining side walls It and H and end walls l8, said blank being fur:

ther provided with spaced longitudinal fold lines l9 and 20 intersected by diagonal fold lines 2! so that, when the blank is folded along said lines, that portion of the blank between the upper fold line. I9 and the adjacent longitudinal edgeof the blank will form a closed top 22 for the wrapper while that portion of the blank between the lower fold line 26 and the other longitudinal edge'of the blank will form a closed bottom for said inner wrap-per. In constructing the inner wrapper the wall it at either one or both ends of the blank is formed with spaces weakened portions or slits 23 which extend inwardly a short distance and define an intermediate tab 24 adapted to be torn or severed along the weakened portions 23 to expose the cigarettes within the inner wrapper, as will be more fully explained hereinafter. The end wall ll of the outer wrapper or cup is provided adjacent the upper lonwithin the other, the U-shaped weakened pornail of the thumb beneath the U-shaped weakened portion 25 and exert a slight upward tearing action thereon when that portion of the outer wrapper between the weakened portion 25 and upper longitudinal edge of the outer wrapper will be severed therefrom so as to expose the inner wrapper. By then grasping that portion of the inner wrapper between the weakened portions 23 thereof and exerting a slight lateral tearing ac tion on the tab 24, the upper ends of the adjacent cigarettes will be exposed so as to permit the easy and convenient removal of a cigarette without disturbing the remaining cigarettes, as best shown'in Figure 3 of the drawings. It will here be noted that as the upper slit or weakened portion 23 of the inner wrapper is disposed in a horizontal plane and intersects the corner of the inner wrapper, the tab 24 may be severed without tearing, mutilating or otherwise disturbing the cover '22 so that said cover always extends over and protects the adjacent ends of the cigarettes fromcontamination in the process of handling or while being carried in a pocket or purse of the user and also prevents the accumulation of loose tobacco in the pocket due to disintegration of the tobacco at the ends of the cigarettes which'usually occurs when the cigarette ends are exposed and happen to rub against the'walls of the pocket or other surface. As the cigarettes are successively removed from the package, the remaining cigarette therein will be housed and protected by the cover 22, as previously stated, and liability of accidentally spilling the cigarettes from the package after the package is opened is positively prevented.

It will, furthermore, be noted that, when one or more cigarettes are removed from the package and said package is tilted, the remaining cigarettes will gravitate or move toward the severed portion of the end wall of the inner wrapper so that a cigarette will always be in a position for convenient removal from the package when desired. It will also be noted that as only approximately one-half of the width of the end wall is severed or detached, the resultant opening will be relatively small. The inner wrapper 6 may be constructed of moisture-proof paper or, if desired, covered with the usual tin-foil, as shown in Figure 14 of the drawings, to assist in keeping the tobacco moist and fragrant.

In Figure 6 of the drawings, there is illustrated a modified form of the invention, in which the blank 21 for the outer wrapper is formed at the opposite ends thereof with angularly disposed weakened portions 28 extending in the direction of the top of the blank, as best shown in Figure '7 of the drawings, so that, when the blank is folded, the weakened portion 28 will extend around one corner of the cigarette package. As the inner wrapper of the package shown in Figure 6 is similar in construction to the inner wrapper shown in Figures 1 and 5, it follows that by merely inserting the thumb nail in the weakened portion 23and exerting a lateral tearing action on the outer wrapper at said weakened portion, the inner wrapper will be exposed so that by severing the inner wrapper along the weakened portions 23, the adjacent cigarettes will be exposed to permit selective removal thereof in the manner previously set forth. If desired, instead of having the weakened portion at one end of the cigarette package or overlapping the corner of the package, said weakened portion may be disposed on the side of the wrapper, as indicated at 28' in Figure 8 of the drawings, and in which event the weakened portions 29 of the inner wrapper will also be disposed on one side of the package immediately at the rear of the weakened portion of the outer wrapper.

In Figures 9 to 13 inclusive of the drawings, I have illustrated another embodiment of the invention capable of producing the same, results in a slightly different manner. In this form of the device the inner wrapper 30 is constructed from a single paper blank 13! of the contour shown in Figure 12 of the drawings, said blank being provided with the vertical and diagonal fold lines 32 and 33 previously described and having its outer surface'covered with a strip of tin-foil or other moisture-proof material 34. That portion of the paper blank constituting one of the side walls of the inner wrapper is formed with a U-shaped weakened portion 35 and the tin-foil 34 is provided with spaced openings 36 arranged between the side walls of said wakened portion 35 so as to expose the paper 3|"0f'the inner wrapper. The outer wrapper 31 is formed of a blank of the construction shown in Figure'13 and is provided with a U-shaped incision or'weakened portion 38 and spaced openings 39 adapted to register with the openings 36in the inner wrapper'whensaid wrappers are folded into package form. After'the package is filled with cigarettes, the usual revenue stamp 40 is applied to the top of the inner wrapper and the adhesive surface of the revenue stamp at one endthereof is pressed downwardly and inwardly against the adjacent side of the package and over the registering openings 36 and 39. As the adhesive face of the stamp is pressed against the front wall of the package, said adhesive surface will be forced through the registering openings 36 and 39 and adhere to the adjacent paper portion 3| of the inner wrapper so as to sever said inner wrapper when the weakened portion 38 of the outer wrapper is severed or detached. In using this form of package, it is merely necessary to insert the thumb or finger beneath theincision 38 in the outer wrapper and exert a slight upward tearing action thereon. Inasmuch as the revenue stamp ll! extends through the openings 36 and 39 and is secured to the inner paper wrapper 3|], it follows that, when the weakened portion 38 is pulled upwardly in the manner shown in Figure of the drawings, both the inner and outer wrappers will be severed soas to expose the adjacent cigarettes and permit convenient successive removal of said cigarettes from the package, as best illustrated in Figure 11 of the drawings. In this form of the device, the severance of the package also destroys the revenue stamp. It will be noted that the top of the inner wrapper will protect the remaining cigarettes in the package after one or more of said cigarettes have been removed so as to prevent accumulation of loose tobacco in the pocket when the package is not being used.

In Figure laof the drawings, there is illustrated a further modification in which the openings 36 and 39 are dispensed with and in lieu thereof the blank M of the inner wrapper is provided with a series of spaced relatively short vertical perforations or weakened portions 42 and the tin-foil 43 is formed in two sectionsand positioned over the face of the blank of the inner wrapper with the confronting edges of said tin-foil sections spaced apart and overlapping the perforations 42. In using this form of the device, the revenue stamp may be positioned at any place on the top of the cigarette package and the adhesive surface of the revenue stamp wil overlap the space between the adjacent weakened portions 42. It, therefore, follows that, when a tearing action is exerted on the weakened portion of the outer wrapper, said tearing action will also sever the inner wrapper between the adjacent rows 42 of perforations so as to expose the cigarettes in the package and permit selective removal of said cigarettes.

It will, of course, be understood that the walls of the outer wrapper may be used for advertising purposes and the package may be provided with the usual Cellophane enveloping jacket without departing from the spirit of the invention. It will thus be seen that there has been provided a comparatively simple and thoroughly efficient package or container for cigarettes which is attractive in apppearanoe and possesses manifold advantageous sales possibilities.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. A cigarette package comprising an inner wrapper having a closed top and an outer wrapper receiving the inner wrapper, said wrappers being provided with registering weakened portions adapted to be successively severed to expose the upper portions of adjacent cigarettes and permit selective removal of a cigarette from the package leaving the entire top of the inner Wrapper intact and permanently in its initial plane' 2.-A cigarette package comprising an inner wrapper having a closed top and an outer wrapper receiving the inner wrapper, said wrappers being provided with registering weakened portions adapted to be successively severed to expose the upper portions of adjacent cigarettes and permit selective removal of a cigarette from the'package, the entire top of the inner wrapper remaining intact and permanently in its initial plane to form a protecting cover for the upper ends of the remaining cigarettes in, said package.

3. A cigarette package comprising an inner wrapper having a closed top and provided with a weakened portion, an outer wrapper having an open top and provided with a weakened portion adapted to register with the weakened portion of the inner wrapper, the upper edge of the weakened portion of the inner wrapper being disposed substantially in the plane of the top of said inner'wrapper whereby when the weakened portions are detached and a cigarette is removed from the package the entire top of the inner wrapper will remain intact and permanently in its initial plane to form a protecting cover for the remaining cigarettes in said package.

4. A cigarette package comprising an inner wrapper formed from a single blank provided with fold lines and having a transverse weakened portion on either one or both ends of the blank, said blank being folded to form an inner container having a closed top, an outer wrapper formed of a singleblank folded to form an outer container having an open top, said outer wrapper having fold lines and provided with a vertical weakened portion adapted to substantially register with the weakened portion or portions on the inner blank when the blanks are folded to form the containers and said containers are nested one within the other, said weakened portions being adapted to be severed to expose the upper portions of adjacent cigarettes in the package and permit selective removal of a cigarette from said package, leaving the entire top of said inner container intact and permanently in its initial plane.

5. A cigarette package comprising an inner wrapper folded to form an inner container having a closed top and provided with a weakened portion, an outer wrapper folded to form an outer container having an open top and provided with a weakened portion adapted to register with the weakened portion of the inner wrapper, said weakened portions being disposed adjacent the closed top of the inner container whereby when the weakened portions are detached to expose the cigarettes at one end of the package and a selected cigarette is removed from the package the entire top of the inner container will remain intact and permanently in its initial plane to form a protecting cover for the upper ends of the remaining cigarettes in the package.

6. A cigarette package comprising an inner wrapper formed from a single blank provided with vertical and diagonal fold lines and having spaced weakened portions extending transversely of the blank at either one or both ends thereof, an outer wrapper formed from a single blank provided with transverse and diagonal fold lines and having a substantially U-shaped weakened portion disposed at approximately the medial line of the blank and extending substantially to the upper end thereof whereby when said blanks are folded in package form and nested one within the other said weakened portions will substantially register to permit detachment of both weakened portions to expose the cigarettes at one end of the package. I

'71. A cigarette package comprising an inner wrapper folded to form an inner container hav ing a closed top and provided near said top at one end of the package with a weakened portion, an outer wrapper folded to form an outer container having an open top and provided near said opentop with a weakened portion overlapping the weakened portion of the inner container whereby when said weakened portionsare detached the cigarettes will be exposed at one end of the package to permit removal of a selected cigarette without mutilating or distorting the top of the inner container.

v 8, A cigarette package comprising an inner wrapper folded to form an inner container having a closed top, an outer wrapper folded to form an outer container having an open top, said wrappers being provided with weakened portions, and a label extending over the closed top of the inner container and covering said weakened portions whereby when the label is detached the weakened portions will be severed to expose the cigarettes in the package and permit removal of a selected cigarette therefrom, leaving the entire top of the inner container intact and permanently in its initial plane.

9. A cigarette package comprising an inner wrapper formed of superposed layers, the inner layer having a weakened portion and the outer layer provided with spaced openings exposing the inner layer, an outer wrapper having a weakened portion and provided with spaced openings adapted to register with the openings in the outer layer of the inner wrapper, and a label extending, transversely across the top of the inner wrapper and over said openings, said label being adapted to be pressed through said openings and having one face thereof provided with adhesive material for attachment to the inner layer of said inner wrapper.

10. A cigarette package comprising an inner wrapper formed of inner and outer layers, the inner layer being formed of paper and provided with a weakened portion and the outer layer formed of tin-foil and provided with spaced openings to-expose the paper layer, an outer wrapper formed of a single blank of paper having a weakened portion and provided with spaced openings adapted to register with the openings in the cuterjayer of the inner wrapper when said wrappersare folded into package form, and a label extending transversely across the top of the package and overlapping said openings, said label being adapted to be pressed within said openings and havingitsinner face coated with adhesive material for attachment to the inner layer of said inner wrapper. H p I 11 A cigarette package comprising an inner wrapper having a closed top and bottom and provided with an outer moisture-proof jacket, said inner wrapper being formed with a substantially U-shaped weakened portion and having spaced openings formed in the moisture-proof jacket, an outerwrapper having an open top and closed bottom fitting over the inner wrapper and provided with a substantially U-shaped weakened portion adapted to register with the weakened portion ofthe inner wrapper and defining a tab, said outer wrapper being formed with spaced openings adapted to register with the openings in the moisture-proof jacket of the inner Wrapper and a label extending transversely across the top oflthe inner wrapper and over the opening's at said weakened portions, the label being coated with adhesive material and adapted to be pressed through the openings in the moistureproof' jacket for attachment toithe inner wrapper whereby when an upward pull is exerted on the tab'the weakened portions will be severed to expose-the cigarettes and permit the removal of a selected cigarette from the package.

12. An'inner wrapper for a cigarette package comprising a'blankc formed of superposed layers, theinner layer being provided .with spaced vertically disposed incisions defining intermediate weakened portions and the outer layer being formed in sectionswith their confronting edges spaeedl apart and overlapping said weakened portions, both of said la'yersbeing provided with vertical and diagonal fold lines whereby when the*blank is folded into package form the Weakened portions of the inner layer will extend circumferentially around the package near the top thereof, j j g I CHARLES C'. BALDWIN. 

